There are over 58 million pet cats in the US and many owners struggle to keep them engaged. Andrey Grigoryev created a toy for cats to trigger their hunting senses without going outside. Cat Amazing featured on Shark Tank and got a deal with Lori Greiner. After the show, Cat Amazing is worth an estimated $3 million.
Andrey Grigoryev’s Background
Andrey Grigoryev is originally from Russia but his family moved to the United States when he was eight years old. Grigoryev now resides in Fort Lee, New Jersey and has a degree in history from NYU.
After graduating Andrey worked as a senior software instructor at New Horizons Computer Learning Center. He later served as a social media marketing manager at Hertz and head of professional services at Conversocial.
Founding Cat Amazing
Grigoryev had trouble making friends when he arrived in the US and as a result became fond of cats. When he got married, he adopted a cat and named him Mooky, who was placed in a little space in their apartment.
While bored, Mooky played with a little red ball by putting it under a book stand and getting it out. Andrey got the idea of making tiny mazes for the little ball to make his pet’s hunting game more challenging.
It worked and this is how Cat Amazing came to life. From 2011 to 2017, the company was only a side hustle and did $20,000 in annual revenue. In 2018, Andrey got more serious about the project and did over $300,000 in sales. By 2021 this figure had reached $550,000.
Shark Tank Appearance
The founder left a high-paying job to focus full-time on the venture. To take Cat Amazing to new heights, Grigoryev needed to raise money and bring on a new partner. In 2022, he appeared on season 13 of Shark Tank, seeking $200,000 for a 10% equity stake.
The Sharks liked his energetic introduction and did a solid job explaining his product. However, the company’s profit margin was only 20% and they were relying heavily on Amazon for sales. Despite this, Robert Herjavec, Kevin O’Leary, and Daymond John all made offers.
The entrepreneur wanted to donate equity to an animal shelter but Daymond wasn’t keen. Lori Greiner jumped in and offered $200,000 for 22%, with 5% going to the shelter cause. Much to Daymond’s annoyance, Andrey accepted the offer.
After Shark Tank
Grigoryev came across as a genuine person that wasn’t just interested in making money. The charity aspect seemed to strike a chord with viewers as he quickly sold out of stock after the episode aired. It’s unknown if the deal with Lori Greiner closed as she hasn’t listed the investment on her website.
Cat Amazing released a new version of his cat puzzles shortly after the show. Their products are available to buy at Walmart, Amazon, Chewy, and their website, CatAmazing.com. Amazon in particular is a big driver of revenue.
The Cat Amazing Classic has an average rating of 4.1 stars from over 6,750 reviews. No recent sales figures have been released but the business makes an estimated $1 million in annual revenue. Cat Amazing is currently worth around $3 million.
